


Anchors

by Akiko_Natsuko



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Deaf, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Missions Gone Wrong, Serious Injuries
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-27
Updated: 2019-11-28
Packaged: 2021-02-26 23:54:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,037
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21587908
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akiko_Natsuko/pseuds/Akiko_Natsuko
Summary: “But…” Gray started, jolting upright and immediately cursing himself for reacting like that as Natsu froze, eyes darting between them. He patted the Dragon-slayer on the shoulder, a reassuring gesture that fell flat because Natsu could feel the tension in his body. “Porlyusica, he can usually hear everything, being like this must be…”  Disorientating. Terrifying. Awful. There were so many words he could use, and yet as he glanced at Natsu, he had a feeling that they would all fall short of what the Dragon-slayer was experiencing right now, especially as it was clear that he was still recovering, already listing to the side, and not fighting Rogue when their partner took more of his weight.A job gone wrong, and the unexpected results of a spell leaves Natsu deaf and utterly lost.
Relationships: Rogue Cheney/Natsu Dragneel/Gray Fullbuster
Comments: 1
Kudos: 17





	Anchors

**Author's Note:**

> Based on this [Drabble](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18029132/chapters/49108565)
> 
> Please note that if you want to talk to me about my fics and writing, or anime/shows/games in general then you can now find me on discord [The Unholy Trinity](https://discord.gg/6sSddAWa5c).

_The ground was shaking beneath Gray’s feet. No, not just shaking, it was coming apart, splitting apart at seams that hadn’t been there before, and he could feel himself losing his balance, flailing as he felt rather than saw another spell impacting the ground far too close for comfort._

_Then he was falling._

_The spell that had avoided him had splintered the rock, and at some point, he had wound up closer to the edge than he’d realised, and this time when he flailed, gravity caught him and yanked him down hard, and there was nothing to stop his fall. He must’ve shouted, because even as he twisted in mid-air, frantically trying to use his ice to catch himself, shadows shot out of the rock wall, reaching out towards him. There was a fleeting moment of fear, but then the shadows were wrapping themselves around him, as soft as ribbon against his skin, but as strong as iron, as his fall was brought to a halt. For a disconcerting moment he was suspended, and then he was being gently pulled towards the rocks, heart still hammering in his chest, as Rogue’s face appeared from the shadows, eyes wild. “I’ve got…” His reassurance was lost as there was a deafening roar from above them, the air turning blisteringly hot for a moment, and neither of them needed to look up to know that it was Natsu._

_“He’s going to destroy everything,” Gray muttered, finally finding his voice, irritated that he couldn’t entirely suppress the waver in it. Then again from the way that Rogue was holding on to him, he wasn’t the only one shaken by the near-miss._

_“I’m inclined to let him.”_

_“Rogue…”_

_The Dragon-slayer huffed at him, but relented, the shadows shifting up the rock face and taking them both with them. It was a strange sensation, and one that Gray still wasn’t entirely used to, although it had got easier as he’d come into his devil-slaying powers, the darkness in them calling to Rogue’s._

_At the top, they found that the world was alight. If Rogue was shaken by the near-miss, then Natsu was furious about it, flames wreathing his hands. It was clear that he knew that Gray was safe – either trusting in Rogue to get to him, or more likely hearing it – not that it stopped him from glancing at them, eyes scanning Gray for any sign of injury, before snapping back to their opponents a split second too late as a sickly grey-green blast slammed into him._

_“Natsu!” Ice shot across the ground, before rising up in a protective wall in front of the Fire Mage who had been flung backwards by the impact. Gray and Rogue rushing across to him as Natsu made a clumsy attempted to climb back to his feet, listing to the side at a worrying angle, and the Ice Mage lunged forward just in time to catch him as Natsu slumped. “Natsu? What is it? Where are you hurt?” He had one arm wrapped around the Dragon-slayer, his other hand searching for whatever damage the attack had done._

_“Gray…” It was Rogue’s quiet voice that drew him out of his panicked search, and he glanced at him, before following Rogue’s gaze back to Natsu and blanching as Natsu sluggishly lifted his head to look at them. He was paler than Gray could remember seeing him since his own magic had almost killed him, and his stomach rolled unpleasantly at the reminder. This was different though because there was also blood trickling from his nose and mouth, and his right ear, Gray realised as Natsu listed towards him, eyes unfocused and seemingly unable to focus._

_“Natsu?” He asked urgently, reaching up to pat a too pale cheek, and grimacing as he got blood on his hand. Natsu groaned at the touch but tried to focus on him, blinking heavily. He seemed to manage it for a couple of seconds, but then it was gone again, and his eyes were beginning to close. “No, stay with me. Natsu, stay with me.” There was no sign that Natsu had even heard him, let alone understood what he was telling him, and Gray could hear movement on the other side of the ice before it shook ominously as something slammed into it. “Rogue, get him out of here.”_

_“But,” Rogue protested, even as he accepted the Fire Mage who was gently deposited into his waiting hands, shifting so that he was able to support most of Natsu’s weight, peering over pink hair at Gray with worried eyes. “What about you?”_

_“We need to finish the job, and I want to know what they did to him,” Gray explained, ice glittering around his feet as he spoke, looking at Natsu who was visibly losing the fight to stay awake. What had they hit him with? Gray knew better than anyone that it took a lot to knock their boyfriend out of a fight, and the damage had him worried. “But he can’t stay here.” Rogue still looked conflicted, but Natsu was all but limp in his arms now, and he couldn’t argue with Gray’s assessment even if he didn’t like it, and his shoulders slumped before he lifted the Fire Mage._

_“Make sure you’re right behind us,” he ordered fiercely, and just a little desperate – knowing that if Natsu were with it, then he would be protesting vehemently. He didn’t give Gray a chance to reply before the shadows swirled at his feet, and he vanished, taking Natsu with him. He couldn’t go far with a second person, but it would at least get them out of the immediate area, and as the ice wall shook and then shattered, showering Gray and the space where his partners had been stood with tiny shards of ice, that was all the Ice Mage cared about. Dark markings crawling up his arm, as he stepped forward to meet the next attack, not seeing the mages – just that moment when Natsu had been hit, a snarl on his lips._

**

The infirmary was much too quiet. In some ways that was good, because it meant that they could listen to Natsu’s slow, but steady breathing, and reassure themselves that he was still there. That he was recovering, although there was little outward sign of it, as he remained too pale and too still, just as he had for the last three days since Rogue and Gray had dragged him back to the guild shouting for help. It was only Porlyusica’s less-pinched expression and the fact that she was no longer hovering constantly over their partner that reassured them that he was on the mend. Although neither of them would truly believe it until Natsu woke up, and they could see for themselves that he was okay before scolding him for getting so distracted in the middle of a fight – ignoring the fact that they would have done precisely the same if their roles had been reversed.

Gray had managed to take out the last of the mages, leaving them trapped in his ice so that the Rune Knights could go in and round them up. However, his questions had been met with stony silence, and they still had no idea exactly what the Fire Mage had been struck with. Porlyusica thought that it was some kind of concussive blast, which would have explained the loss of balance and blood, but even she wasn’t sure and had warned them that there might be some other effects when Natsu woke up. _When not if,_ no one had mentioned the other word, and not just because of the fierce expression on Rogue and Gray’s faces as they watched over Natsu. It was just inconceivable to anyone that there could be any other outcome, not after what everything he had managed to overcome.

“I don’t like him being this quiet,” Rogue murmured, just barely breaking the quiet. Neither of them had dared to speak normally for the last few days, as though afraid that they might miss something vital if they were even a little too late. “It’s just…”

“Wrong.”

“Unnatural.”

They glanced at each other across the bed and almost smiled, neither able to argue with what the other had said. Both had at some point, or other yelled at Natsu to be quiet, and Rogue had even booted the Fire mage across Magnolia through his shadows one day when Natsu had been particularly annoying, and yet without that noise. That liveliness that could always make them smile, even on the bad days, it felt as though a void had opened between them. “Not that I’m going to tell him that,” Rogue added, even as his fingers curled tighter around the hand that he was holding and Gray nodded, knowing that they would both say something to that effect in their own words. Natsu just had to wake up first. He sighed, lifting Natsu’s other hand that he had been holding between his, and kissing the palm. _Come back to us Flamebrain,_ he thought before blinking as he felt Natsu’s fingers twitch.

“Natsu?!” He bolted upright, looking at Natsu’s face in the hopes of seeing him at least fighting towards consciousness, but the Dragon-slayer’s expression was still lax.

“Gray…?” Rogue trailed off as Gray lifted Natsu’s hand for him to see, just as the Fire mage’s fingers twitched again, almost trying to curl around his. “Natsu,” he called, shifting his attention to their partner, and leaning closer to him, squeezing the hand that he was holding. “Natsu, open your eyes.” It was half-command, half-plea, both feeling as though some of that void would disappear if they could just see a sliver of Natsu’s eyes. However, the Dragon-slayer’s eyes remained stubbornly shut, face lax, and after a moment even his fingers had stilled again, and neither of them could hide their disappointment as their eyes met over his head.

*

Natsu had another couple of stilted attempts at waking over the next day, at one point managing to curl his fingers entirely around theirs, but never opening his eyes. Porlyusica promised them that it was a good sign, but there was a tension in the air. A worry that no one wanted to speak aloud, and that grew every time he stilled once more.

*

It was purely terrible luck that the first time he stirred properly was during one of the few times that Gray and Rogue had left his side. They hadn’t gone willingly, but when Makarov and Porlyusica had pointed out that Natsu was going to be furious if he saw the state of them, they had been forced to agree that they needed to eat something and shower – although they had both adamantly refused to go home, making use of the showers at the guild and Mira’s cooking. They were just on there way back to the infirmary, having to admit to themselves at least that they did feel better for the break, even if it had been spent talking and thinking about Natsu when they heard raised voices and muffled thuds coming from the direction of the infirmary. They shared a quick, panicked glance before breaking into a run.

Chaos greeted them.

Natsu was conscious and upright. And desperately fighting against Porlyusica who was trying to keep the Dragon-slayer in the bed. It was a sign that he was still healing that she was managing to hold him in place, but he wasn’t responding to her sharp commands to settle down, and when he spotted them, his eyes were wild and fearful.

“Gray! Rogue!” He was shouting, the words slightly off – not quite slurred, but not right. Gray noted that but dismissed it, for now, more focused on the fear in that voice. The pleading. Darting across to them with Rogue on his heels, gently nudging Porlyusica out of the way who looked relieved as she stepped away and let them move in to comfort the Dragon-slayer.

“Easy Natsu,” Gray murmured, sitting on the edge of the bed, framing Natsu in on one side as Rogue circled around to the other side to do the same. Pressed against Natsu, he frowned as he realised that the Dragon-slayer was trembling. “Natsu?”

“Gray…” It was Rogue who noticed it first, eyes intent on Natsu, watching how his eyes were darting around, and how Natsu had failed to react in the slightest to Gray’s voice. And the fear wasn’t abating even with them both pressed into his side. Gray followed Rogue’s example just studying Natsu, a cold weight settling in the pit of his stomach before he slowly reached out and grasped Natsu’s chin and tilted his head towards him, waiting for the panicked olive eyes to meet his gaze.

“Natsu?” He watched as Natsu’s eyes darted down to his mouth, expression contorting with fear, confusion and something akin to grief. “Natsu…” He repeated slowly this time, the weight in his stomach growing, hearing Porlyusica’s sharp intake of breath behind them and glimpsing the dawning understanding on Rogue’s face. “Can. You. Hear. Me?” He exaggerated each word, Natsu watching him intently, and then the Dragon-slayer’s expression crumpled further, and he mutely shook his head, lifting trembling hands to his ears. At first, he just pressed down on them, but as they watched his fingers curled and clutched at them, knuckles turned white, as a frustrated noise bubbled up in the back of his throat. Rogue was the one to move, covering both of Natsu’s hands with his own and gently tugging them away, even as Gray turned to look at Porlyusica.

“What is this?”

“I need to have a look at him; unfortunately he was too panicked before,” Porlyusica replied, sounding calm, but there was a worried frown that did nothing to ease Gray’s gnawing concern. However, he nodded and gestured for her to come closer before turning back to Natsu who had noticed the movement, eyes darting to the healer, and then to Rogue who was still holding his hands, and Gray.

This time he let Porlyusica approach, pressing into Gray and Rogue for support, and they could both feel how his trembling increased as the healer examined his ears, tilting his head to the side, her expression darkening. Gray could feel Natsu growing warmer, his magic simmering below the surface, an instinctive reaction to protect himself, and maybe Porlyusica had picked up on it too because she sighed and then stepped back. “I can’t see any obvious damage, but as we still don’t know exactly what he was hit with, there might be something I can’t see.”

“But you can fix it?” Rogue demanded.

“I’m not sure.”

“But…” Gray started, jolting upright and immediately cursing himself for reacting like that as Natsu froze, eyes darting between them. He patted the Dragon-slayer on the shoulder, a reassuring gesture that fell flat because Natsu could feel the tension in his body. “Porlyusica, he can usually hear everything, being like this must be…” _Disorientating. Terrifying. Awful._ There were so many words he could use, and yet as he glanced at Natsu, he had a feeling that they would all fall short of what the Dragon-slayer was experiencing right now, especially as it was clear that he was still recovering, already listing to the side, and not fighting Rogue when their partner took more of his weight.

“I understand that, and I promise that I will do everything I can,” Porlyusica had started quickly enough, but she had slowed, emphasising each word as she made the promise and Gray realised that Natsu was watching her again and that it was for his sake. Natsu looked as though he desperately wanted to believe her, but that he was equally terrified to hope at the moment, and generally overwhelmed. Rogue had noticed too, wrapping an arm around the other Dragon-slayer and easing him back against the pillows, holding him close. “He needs to rest,” Porlyusica had noticed too. “I will start researching straight away, but rest will help.”

“We’ve got him,” Rogue said, just short of snapping, curling around Natsu protectively. He wasn’t as used to the healer as Gray was, and with the stress of the situation and Natsu’s continued trembling, he wasn’t in the best of moods. Porlyusica was unfazed, nodding at them and casting a last, worried look at Natsu before heading for the door, mumbling under her breath and Gray caught the name of what he assumed were books and herbs before she stepped out of the infirmary, leaving the three of them alone.

“Natsu…” Gray turned back to Natsu, trailing off as he realised that Natsu couldn’t hear them, sharing a helpless glance with Rogue who looked just as lost as he felt, before taking a deep breath. Now, was not the time for them to fall apart. Natsu was already doing that, and right now, they were the only things that could keep him anchored. It was hard though because it hurt to see Natsu like this. Gray couldn’t imagine a world without sound, and for Natsu who was used to living with every sense amped up it must be nightmarish, and he had no idea what they could do to ease that.

But they could be there.

Rogue had managed to get Natsu lying down, and Gray moved to mirror them, pressing against Natsu from the other side. “We’re here,” he said, loud and slow, and he wasn’t sure whether it was the vibration of the words, or just the fact that they were both there, curling closer with Natsu trapped between them, but the Dragon-slayer while still tense relaxed into them. There were no more words after that as they would be wasted. Instead, they shifted closer, Gray running his fingers lightly through the pink hair as he would on the rare times that Natsu was roused by a nightmare, while Rogue let his shadows spread out across Natsu’s body, lighter than a blanket, but warm as they were infused with his magic, a comforting weight that drew a sigh from the Fire Mage. Yet even as Natsu relaxed a little, whether, from exhaustion or their efforts, it felt very much like the calm before the storm.


End file.
